Move From Biab To Mash Tun - Need Advice On Build

[Nick JD]

This is how I do it.

I'm the guy in the background about to raise the bag at mashout using the well-hoist.

When I finish BIABing I go out with my mates to find a witch to burn.

But 16th century brewing aside ... using a fabric lauter filter is not a silly idea.

 

[yardy]

Hey all,

Have done a few BIAB brews in the past and am now looking at moving to a Mashtun to save all the mess of the bag.

I am by no means any expert, but would like some recommendations on mash tun design from those who have done it in the past.

Going to buy an esky of some variety. Any recommendation on shape & size, just for single batches, Rectangular, square, round? Also what type of extraction method inside? Stainless braided hose, copper manifold, ss false bottom?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

G'day Neo,

no expert here either mate but I've built a couple of esky tuns with copper manifolds and a SS keg shaped tun with a false bottom, if it were me building my first tun, knowing what I know now, I would go with the cylindrical cooler/esky with one of the advertised BB false bottoms to suit.

42 litre tun

manifold

by the way mate, don't go spruiking about having performed BIAB, it doesn't look good on a resume

Yard

 

[pk.sax]

I gotta say, if you (OP) are thinking if/why you should change systems.... It's like this:

Some 3v ppl switch to a braumeister. It's more expensive, but it is pretty much a full time beer maker. You can do it everyday from what I've seen and not tire of it.

Would you want to handle wet bags everyday? Doubt it. Do you brew everyday? Doubt that too. For most people BIAB works out, actually it doesn't even progress beyond the stovetop. I got a keggle and rigged it up a bit for outdoors BIAB because I hate the mess the kitchen ends up in doing it inside. There is the inevitable splash and plenty of boil spray, not to mention the dropped wort etc when transferring to sparge pot etc, in the end that needs cleaning up OR being really careful. I can only afford to brew on weekends now, and I doubt I want a compulsory clean up of the kitchen every time + it gets tied up so I can't cook I wish I had a garage, but I don't. I got a balcony though. I'll prolly churn out a few on the keggle outside and see it is less messy than doing it indoors.

If it continues to create unintended work for me I'm gonna grab an esky and some braid or maybe even another keg + insulation + braid, I saw the guys at westgate do a brew with a braid mashtun made out of a keg and can't honestly say it was hard to clean, it was tipped out and hosed. I certainly don't carry out my grain bag to the yard/downstairs dripping all over the floor, I get something to put it in and consequently have to clean that in turn of the sticky drying sugars - that's the sparge pot for you. Or a plastic bucket for the 'purer'. I really don't see a cleaning advantage in BIAB. It does have a smaller storage footprint though. Horses for courses.

If I made a mashtun, an SS braid would be my first try, second would be to try to make a maltpipe of sorts if required. I am a little interested in recirculating for clarity into the kettle as I'm sort of lazy to calculate too much with volume adjustments - means looking for a system that creates a grain bed. Shit, I don't wanna touch a math problem after work if I can manage not to. Good luck.

 

[manticle]

I don't see anywhere above where someone said either system made better or worse beer, just people correcting the fallacy that BIAB has an inherent efficiency limitation.

Each system has it's pro's and con's, and if the OP wants to know what they are, then I don't see how answering that is a problem.

It's not.

My reaction is a general reaction to how many threads/discussions end up and is the reaction of a tired, grumpy not very old but slightly balding guy who wants to see people focus on making good beer and embracing the idea that there is more than one method to do so.

I'm trying to detract from the uselesss discussion that often ensues, not add to it. Can we get back to Catwoman and wonderwoman in the jelly bath please?

Did I not mention the jelly bath before?

 

[Newbee(r)]

I retired the bag not too long ago, moving to 3V. I did it cause I was attempting to do double batches in a 50L pot and was a real pain juggling volumes, top ups, dunk sparges etc. It was very messy trying to squeeze to much out of too small a pot. OG and efficiency was also a problem, as is fairly widely accepted for biab, as the OG went up the efficiency went down. When I was doing single batches it was fine, but I don't get too many opportunities to brew these days,so when I do I go for volume. I now brew with a 50hlt, 50mt, 80kt and it's a lot less hassle to brews double batch at any OG as my efficiency does not differ based on OG.

Standard biab is no messier than 3V. Once you introduce excessive squeezing, dunk sparging etc, it can become quite messy. But you still have to handle the grain when cleaning out the mash tun anyway... So 3V can be messy too.

IMO if your current biab procedure is simple, without the extra faffing about... Stay as you are, your beers will still be excellent. If it's just because you want to, then fine go for it... No need to explain yourself. When I really think about my own reasoning, that was really my motivation... Sometimes adding more gear/complexity is some of the attraction of the hobby.

Could always buy 2 x 40L urns and do side by side (double) batches?

The efficiency in terms of time is my biggest barrier to 3V. I love the idea of an automated system with pumps, timers etc but the reality of cleaning 3 vessels, tubing etc means biab is my preferred approach. If I was upgrading I have to say I would be looking at the braumeister.

bugger, where's the pic of catwoman and wonderwoman in jelly? What flavour of jelly?

 

[manticle]

bugger, where's the pic of catwoman and wonderwoman in jelly?

Closest I could get. I was right about catwoman.

What flavour of jelly?

Blackcurrant

 

[Newbee(r)]

Closest I could get. I was right about catwoman.

Blackcurrant

... and there it is. Now, if we could just line up Michelle Pfieffer and Lynda Carter to reenact...

I was actually planning on crumpets for breakfast until the link....

 

[Pennywise]

I was right about catwoman

Some would argue that point :blink: h34r:

 

[Nick JD]

 

[DJR]

Back on topic

I use and have used for 3 years a handy pail as a mashtun - one of those 21L tubs you can buy from any hardware shop or find out the back of donut shops. Wrap it up in camping mat and you're set.

Advantage is, when it is up for replacement, just buy another one and re-wrap the camping mat around it, and drill a new hole for the manifold.

I have a simple brass bulkhead with copper t-piece that goes into a round piece of stainless braid hose with SS hose clamps on. Works fine and the whole mashtun would cost less than $70 or so inc bulkhead and ball valve, maybe $100 or so if you went all SS/copper.

I usually mash like this

4kg grain + 12L water
4L water @ 100C to mashout
Drain
Add 9L water @ 75C - first batch sparge
Drain
Add 9L water @ 75C - 2nd batch sparge

The only disadvantage in having a smaller tun is that i can't infusion steps that well cos you run out of space- you could do one of 4 things to fix that without increasing the volume:

- Decoctions
- HERMS/RIMS
- Start with a very thick mash (eg. 1.5L/kg)
- Make the mashtun from a heatable container, e.g. cheap 19L SS stockpot, and heat it directly

 

[kocken42]

42L Cooler Combo Pack available at Ray's Outdoors in the current catalogue for Fathers Day.

42L cooler
4L personal cooler
1L Drink container

Now $49.95, saves $40

Pretty good price for a large chest cooler if you are interested in building a mash tun.

 

[davo4772]

I have recently hung the bag up and am now mashing and batch sparging in a 26L esky with a copper manifold.

My only real reason for changing is that I wanted to learn how to do it and to see if it makes any real difference. My only regret is that that I find the 26L esky too small.
Sure it fits a standard gravity batch fine with a 2 step batch sparge. thats all good. Gets my efficiency around 75 percent. Ideally I would prefer my efficiency to sit a 70% given most recipes are calculated at 70. A single batch sparge would prob bring the efficiency down to 70, which won't fit in a 26l esky. No biggie , just have to adjust recipe.

The only real advantage I have found with batch sparging over the bag is having less trub at the end of the boil and I tend to leave less in the pot. Was never a big deal as used to strain it through a tea towel and use for starters.

 

[neo__04]

Ok, Final question on eskys.

I can get...
- 46L "Wanderer" brand cooler from BCF for $49, a tall squareish shape.
- 42L "Frosty" cooler from Rays, rectangular on wheels type, for $49 in a pack with a couple of smaller coolers.
- 60, 80, 100L Techni Ice eskys on ebay anywhere from $70-$120ish. Really good brand, 5-16 days of cooling, lifetime guarantee etc etc. All auctions, so price varies, but still really cheap. Tallish rectangular shape.

Now any of these sizes are fine for me as I will generally be doing single bactches, prob ok for double batches, If im making a manifold, shape of the esky then doesnt matter? As long as the bottoms flat?

Thanks again!

 

[manticle]

I'd go for techni ice. If you only ever will make singles or the ocassional double then 60L should be ample.